Using Student-generated Press Releases in a Vertebrate Physiology Course to Enhance Scientific Communication Skills - Abstract, Assignment, and Evidence

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Mary Man

This article presents a teaching activity for strengthening students’ lay communication skills in a Vertebrate Physiology course. Students analyze journal articles focused on vertebrate physiology and then create “press releases” that summarize experimental results without jargon. The work emphasizes clear, accurate communication to non-scientific audiences and encourages creative connections between scientific findings and potential real-world applications. Press releases are read aloud and evaluated as a group for audience engagement.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages3

Reading Time8 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Need for communication with the public

Course structure and press release requirement

Assignment workflow

Article analysis guidelines

Jargon-free summary

Press release creation and class evaluation

Evidence from past course offerings

Respiration and metabolism examples

Using Student-generated Press Releases in a Vertebrate Physiology Course to Enhance Scientific Communication Skills Shawn K. Stover Department of Biology & Environmental Science, Davis & Elkins College, 100 Campus Drive, Elkins, WV 26241 Abstract: This article describes an activity designed to hone students’ lay communication skills. After carefully analyzing journal articles that highlight specific aspects of vertebrate physiology, students generate “press releases”to summarize experimental results and suggest potential applications of the research. By producing succinct, jargonfree summaries of current research, along with creative connections between the research and potential real-world applications, students develop skills that allow them to communicate more effectively with the general public. Key words: Press releases, communication skills, primary literature Introduction Davis & Elkins College (D&E) is a small, private liberal arts college that emphasizes small class sizesand strong faculty-student interactions. In the Department of Biology and Environmental Science, students are introduced to the critical analysis of primary scientific literature as early as the sophomore year, and the importance of data interpretation is stressed throughout the curriculum. By the end of the senior year, we expect our majors to be able to interpret scientific data and assess the merit of published research according to evidence presented. While the ability to analyze primary literature is critical, it may not be sufficient to prepare students for interactions with the lay public. According to Millar and Osborne (1998), one of the necessary outcomes of formal science education is the ability to “understand, and respond critically to, media reports of issues with a science component.” Misconceptions regarding vaccinations, genetically modified organisms, and climate change abound. Scientists, current and future, need to address these misconceptions. What can be done to reduce the epistemic distance between scientists and the public? The answer may be communication. Scientists need to communicate information to non-scientists in a way that is understandable, but not condescending. Vertebrate Physiology is an elective course for biology majors at D&E. The course surveys physiological mechanisms common to all vertebrate animals and introduces functional adaptations essential to each vertebrate class. The course is divided into five sections: respiration, metabolism, temperature regulation, osmotic regulation, and biomechanics. The laboratory portion of the course incorporates analysis of current research articles from the primary literature, typically one paper per section. In recent years, in addition to standard analysis of research data, I have required students to generate“press releases” that summarize experimental results for the general public. The press release is more than just a filtered abstract. It is meant to spark interest in readers, to inform readers of recent scientific efforts, and to demonstrate how the research might potentially affect readers. Generation of a good press release requires some creativity, distinct from standard scientific writing. Assignment The assignment begins with the formal analysis of a journal article, using very specific guidelines (Table 1) . Subsequently, students are instructed to generate a jargon-free summary of the paper that would be appropriate for non-scientists. They are then tasked with making that summary appealing to the general public by turning it into a short press release that includes potential real world applications of the published research. Press releases are read aloud in class, and students collectively decide which one(s) would most effectively engage a non-scientific audience. See Table 2 for an example of an effective press release. In 2015 and 2018, the last two times I taught the course, I used the same five research articles to highlight th

FAQs

What is the main learning goal of the press release activity?

The activity is designed to hone students’ lay communication skills by translating vertebrate physiology research into accessible summaries for the general public.

How do students start the assignment before writing a press release?

Students begin with a formal analysis of a journal article using specific guidelines, then produce a jargon-free summary appropriate for non-scientists.

What makes a press release different from a standard filtered abstract?

A press release should spark interest, inform readers of recent scientific efforts, and show how the research might affect real-world audiences, requiring creativity beyond typical scientific writing.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Mary Man